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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. J. PALMER.

APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING AND THE LIKE. No. 425,826. Patented Apr. 15,1890.

w'lhiessea Inventur:

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. J. PALMER. APPARATUS FOR EMB OSSING AND THE LIKE.

No. 425,826. Patented Apr. 15,1890.

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(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet s. T. J. PALMER. APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING AND THE LIKE.No. 425,826. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS JOHN PALMER, OF LANCASTER, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

the coucher-rolls.

APPARATUS FOREMBOSSING AND THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,826, dated April15, 1890.

Application filed July 18,1888.

bossed decorative material, panels, architect-- ural ornaments, and suchlike articles from partially-manufactured paper or other materials; butthe said invention is also applicable to analogous operationssuch asstamping materials while in motionthe said apparatus being arranged sothat it can be adapted for use for producing various lengths of repeatof the pattern embossed or stamped.

I will describe my invention with reference.

to the accompanying drawings as applied to the production of embosseddecorative material from paper-making material as it issues from apaper'making machine, from which description the application of the saidinvention to analogous operationssuch as to printing or stampingmaterials in .motion will also be readily understood.

Figure 1 is an end elevation; Fig. 1 a view at right angles thereto ofpart of the same, and Fig. 2 a diagrammatic transverse section of anapparatus constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 is a part plan,and Figs. 4c, 5, and 6 aredetail views of portions thereof, ashereinafter explained. Fig. 7 is a sectional view, drawn to a largerscale, of a detail.

In carrying out my invention, according to the example which I havechosen for the purpose of illustration, I make a layer or Web ofpaper-pulp on the wet end of a paper-making machine, either in the waydescribed in the specification to my patent No. 4,227 of 1883, or in anyother suitable way, and after it has passed the coucher-rolls I conveyit onto an endless felt, and for some patterns I convey it by means ofthis felt between rollers to press and consolidate it,while for otherpatterns I carry it forward without pressing to be embossed in the statein which it leaves To effect this embossing, I

Serial No. 280,324. (No model.) Patented in England June 18, 1888, No.8,906.

arrange at a convenient point, preferably in a direct line with thepaper-making machine, a strong and suitably-formed frame A. On the innersides of this frame I fix plates B B B B having channels or grooves wtherein, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive pins 0 on brackets C, fixed tothe plates D D to which the embossing-blocks E E are'affixed by screwsor in other convenient way. The plates D D are connected by brackets F Fsliding rods ff and links g g to rack-bars G G through which theembossing-blocks E E are operated by the segment-wheels I I I I operatedby gearing, as hereinafter described. The upper rack-bar G passes upthrough a guide H, and the lower rack-bar G is similarly guided by aguide H which may be in a concrete base or bed. On two opposite sides ofthe rackbars G and G are teeth h 71 to engage with corresponding teethon the segment-Wheels I I J J 2 are bolts or pins which secure thebrackets F F to the rack-bars G G and to these bolts or pins areattached chains (or ropes or bands) 70 10 which are guided by free-rumning grooved pulleys K K K K and are connected at their opposite ends topulleys LL L L fast on shafts M M on which are fixed thefriction-pulleys N N round which pass friction-straps N N, leading fromcorrespondin g pulleys N N fast on shafts M M. Fast on the shafts M Mare toothed wheels P P which at the requisite periods gear with theteeth of segment wheelsR R fast on the shafts M M in order towithdrawthe blocks E E from the material being acted upon, ashereinafter described. When the wheels P P are not in gear with thesegments R R the shafts M M will run free, except for the friction ofthe belts N N on the pulleys N N I said blocks, the rack-bars G G aremade to act telescopically by the heads of the rods f f sliding in slotsin the links g g which connect the rack-bars G G to the brackets F, the

said links turning on the pins J 2 at one end and the pins j at theother end. The longitudinal movement of the blocks is eifected by theteeth of the segment-wheels V gearing with racks d d d? (P,respectively, on opposite sides of the platesD D Fig. 3. Immediatelyafter the plates D D and blocks E E have completed their forward traveland the pins 0' arrive at the end of the parallel portions 01 of theslots 00 the segment-wheels U will have become disengaged from the racksd, leaving the plates D D and blocks E E free to be withdrawn from thematerial.

The segment-wheels U" receive a little less than half a revolution at atime and are driven by means of the wheels 1 on shafts 2, which rotatecontinuously.

To prevent the segment-wheel U upon disengagement being carried round bytheir momentum, so as to come into gear at the wrong time with the racksd and wheels 1, respectively, I provide the construction shown at Figs.4, 5, and 6, which stops their motion and retains them out of gear, alsocausing them to be brought into gear again at the proper time. Thisconstruction is provided at each side of the apparatus and consists of avertical cylinder 6, fixed to the frame A and containing a spring whichconstantly maintains a downward pressure, through the rod 7 7, upon theslider 8, tending to keep it at the lower limit of its travel in theguide-slot 9 in the framing. This slider 8 projects by a sidewiseextension into the vertical groove of one of the plates B so that as theembossingblocks come into the position illustrated in Fig. 2, inreadiness to receive their forward traverse, the pin 0 may strike thesaid extension and raise the slider 8 against the resistance of thespring in the cylinder 6. The raising of this slider lifts the tail endsof platesprings 10 11, which are secured thereto, and the other ends ofthese springs are constrained to move forward horizontally by the guideand guide-pins 12. Studs 13 are fixed to the under side of eachsegment-wheel U in such a position that one end of the spring 11, beingforced forward, comes into contact with a stud, and thereby pushes thewheelU into gear with the rack d and with thewheel 1, with the resultthat the dies are traversed horizontally. As soon as the pin 0' in itshorizontal travel leaves the under side of the projection of the slider8 the said slider is forced to its lowest position by the spring in thecylinder 6, and the springs 10 and 11 resume their original positions inreadiness for another operation. 1

The stop-piece 14 is carried by and hinged upon the spring 10, and liesbetween two guide-pins 15 16, these pins being so arranged that' on theend of spring 10 commencing to travel forward horizontally, asdescribed, the hinged stop-piece 14 is brought into contact with theguide-pin 16, and its upper end thereby prevented from travelingforward; but its lower end is .being carried forward horizontally by thespring 10, and thus the hinged piece is caused to rotate on its hinge,sliding downward and forward between the two guide-pins'15 16. Its upperend is lowered out of the way of the stud 13 into the positionillustrated in Fig. 4 at the same moment that the springll pushes at theopposite side of the stud 13 to bring the segment-wheelU into gear withthe racks d; but as soon as the horizontal travel of the bedplate D andits pin 0' permits the slider 8 to fall the consequent horizontalwithdrawal of the end of the spring 10 causes the hinged stop-piece 14to rotate on its hinge and to slide upward between guide-pins l5 and 16into a vertical position, so that the upper edge of the stop-piece mayintercept and stop the stud 13, and thereby prevent the se,.;

ment-wheels U from making more than half a revolution. I may use anyother suitable device to bring the wheels U andl into gear.

I will now describe the means by which the apparatus is driven, togetherwith the devices for varying the speed of withdrawal and return of thedies E E in accordance with the repeat in the pattern being embossed, toenable difierent lengths of repeat to be produced in the machine andprevent the length of pattern last embossed from either overlapping orfalling short of the length of pattern just previously embossed, itbeing understood that the pulp or paper material from the coucher-rollerpasses through the apparatus at a constant speed. The shafts 2 aregeared with the coucher-roll driving-gear, so that the speed ofhorizontal travel of the blocks E E may always be the same as that ofthe pulp or paper material.

The mechanism, hereinbefore described, for controlling the rise and fallof the embossing- Zblocks may be driven by the well-known double-conedevices for variable speed, 19 being the driving-belt leading from thesteamengine or other prime mover and passing over a pulley on the shaft,on which is fixed the, 1

upper of the two cones 2O 20. The belt-transmitting motion from one coneto the other is marked 21, 22 being the belt-shifter, capable of beingoperated by the attendant by means of the rope 24, which passes aroundthe pulleys 23 and 25, the pulley 25 being fixed upon a screw whichcauses the belt-shifter to traverse the belt when variations of thelength of period between successive embossings are required. The belt 26(see Fig. 1 transmits motion from the pulley 27 on the lower coneshaftto a pulley 28, fixed to the shaft M. A spur-wheel 29, fixed on whichshaft, transmits motion from that shaft to one of the segments I (thehinder one not seen in Fig. 1) by means of the gear-wheels 30 and 31,(see Fig. 2,) and in order that the movements of both the segments I maybe synchronous their shafts i 'i are geared by the wheels 31, 32, 33,and 34, so that the rack-bars G are operated as described. Tosynchronize the movements of the rack-bar G2 with those of the rack-barG, the wheel 29 on the shaft M is geared by the wheels T and T with awheel 35, by which the segments I are driven synchronously by thegear-wheels 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40. (See Fig. 2.)

I will now describe the action of the machine, starting with theassumption that the pulp or paper 41 is receiving an impression, theembossing-blocks E E being in the position shown in Fig. 2. Thesegment-wheels U, running at the same speed as the pulp or other fabricto be treated, are in gear with the racks d of the plates D D and theseplates, with the blocks E E are carried forward. The edges of thegrooves 00 for about onethird of their length, are slightly inclinedtoward the blocks E E so that as they are carried forward the pressureupon them is gradually increased until they have passed through aboutone-third of their travel, when the maximum pressure is reached and ismaintained until the ends of the grooves 00 are reached and the saidblocks are withdrawn, respectively, up and down the inclined grooves 00.During the horizontal traverse of the blocks the telescopic portions f fof the rack-bars G G are extended, and as the pins 0 reach the ends ofthe portions 00 of the grooves the racks d on the edges of the plates I)D will have cleared the segment-wheel U, and the studl3 on that wheelcomes into contact with the stop-piece 14, Figs. 4 and 6, and the wheelU prevented from being carried farther round by its momentum. When theplates D D cease to receive motion from the wheel U, the segment-wheelsR R engage with the toothed wheels P P on the shafts M M and the rollersL L on those shafts wind in the chains k attached to the bolts J J whichchains draw the plates D D and blocks E E along the inclined grooves m.In doing so the telescopic portions ff of the rack-bars G G are firstpulled horn e, (these telescopic portions being fitted in order that thecompressing-links g 9 may be caused always to take a proper bearing onthe collars 43 of the brackets F.) Then the rack-bars G G still operatedby the chains 1:; 10 are respectively elevated and depressed until thepins C of each plate D D have arrived at the end of the inclined grooves00, in readiness to traverse the vertical portions of the said grooves.The lower rackbar G is provided with a spring 42, of sufficient strengthto prevent its descent under the influence of gravity while itstelescopic portions are being returned, as described. By the time theseoperations are concluded the segment-wheels I I will have reached thepoint of gearing into the racks h h on the bars G G which latter willimmediately carry the plates D D and blocks E E along the verticalportions of the grooves 00 into contact with the material 41, thesegment-wheels I I being by this time out of gear again with the racks h71 The upper plate D is prevented from running away from its rack-bar Gand link 9 by the retarding influence of the friction of the belt N uponthe pulley N By the friction of the belt N a tension is maintainedsufficient to prevent the chain 10 running freely oif the pulley L andhanging loosely about the machine. As the lower block E and its plate Darrive at the upper If in embossing it is found that the blocks areeither overlapping or not quite reaching the work just previously doneby reason of the slight slipping of any of the belts, or because of anyinequalities in the repeat of the pattern, the attendant in charge can1mmediately rectify this by operating the beltshifter 22, increasing ordecreasing the speed of that portion of the machine which operates tocause the withdrawal and return of the blocks E E. This means forincreasing or decreasing the speed of that part of the machine whichwithdraws the blocks will allow of considerable variation in the lengthof repeat in the patterns applied by the machine. It will be readilyseen that the power of varying the speed of this part of the machine iscapable of-allowing any length of fabric (varying, say,forexample,fromtwenty-one inches to six feet) passing each time beforethe blocks return to the material; but if working short repeats it willbe necessary to decrease the length of the grooves 00, so that they havea less length in proportion to the length of the blocks than they havein Fig. 1.

When embossingpulp directfrom the couchr lls, I use one or more thickwet felts to aborb the water pressed out, or I may use the rrangementdescribed in the specificat on of y patent No. 4,227 of 1883. i

I prefer to bore holes through the counterblock E at thosepoints whereliquid is found to be driven in the operation of embossing to allow ofthe escape of moisture from the material operated upon, and whendesirable I also bore the upper block E in the same manner; but whenI dothis I plug the said holes with porous material.

I have illustrated in Fig. 7 several forms of plugs and modes of fixingthem in the blocks or dies; but I do not restrict myself thereto, asmany other shapes may be used. As shown at 1 the plug is conical andfitted in the die with its smallest end to theface of the die, and toprevent the plug being forced out at the back of the die; ametal ring 2i's countersunk and fixed into the back of said die, as shown. Asillustrated at 3 the plug is also conical in form and cemented into thedie with its largest end to the face thereof. As shown at 4 a hollowmetal plug 5 is fitted and secured in a conical hole in the die,

and in front of this metal plug the porous 'plug 4* is cemented in thehole in the die.

6 represents another form of plug, it being partly conical and partlycylindrical, the smallest end of the cone being toward the face of thedie, and a metal ring being countersunk in the back of the die, as inthe arrangement shown at 1 and 7 X illustrates another form of plug,which may be of metal or other suitable substance, pierced with fineholes through its entire length, or, if desired, onlythroughpart of itslength, the remainder of its length being pierced by one larger hole, asshown, with which the finer perforations communicate. These plugs may beprovided with a screw-thread and be screwed into the holes in the block.For these plugs I prefer to use clay and to mix it with naphthaline orother spirit, then bake it to drive off the spirit, taking care not toraise the temperature too high. When the spirit hasbeen driven off, Iform the clay into plugs of suitable shape and secure them in theorifices inthe block by cement or otherwise.

I claim as my invention- 1. Apparatus for embossing, stamping, or thelike at intervals on paper or other material, and comprising thecombination of feed mechanism for the material, and an impression-blockand opposite pressure-surface,with intermittent feed mechanism for theimpression-block and pressuresurface, to cause them to travel with thepaper or other material while in contact with it, and devices,substantially as set forth, to withdraw the block from contact with thematerial backward and again move it into contact at another point, allsubstantially as described.

2. Apparatus for embossing, stamping, or the like, at intervals, onpaper or other mate rial, and comprising the combination of feedmechanism for the material, and a pair of impression-blocks on oppositesides of the material, with intermittent feed mechanism for the blocksto cause them to travel with the paper or other material while incontact with it, and devices, substantially as set forth, to withdrawthe blocks from contact with the material backward and again intocontact at another point, all substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for embossing, stamping, or the like, at intervals, onpaper or other material, and comprising the combination of feedmechanism for the material, a pair of im- 4. Apparatus for embossing,stamping, or I the like, at intervals, on paper or other material, andcomprising the combination of feed mechanism for the material, a pair ofimpression-blocks and grooved guides therefor, with intermittent feedmechanism to move the blocks forward with the material while in contacttherewith, rack -bars having a hinged extensible connection with theblocks, segment-gears for moving the blocks toward and from thematerial, and devices, substantially as described, for returning theblocks under the control of the guides after each forward feedmovement,.all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS JOHN PALMER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM 0. Roman, Solr. a-nclNotary Public, Bank Buildings, Lancaster.

NORMAN LEIGH, Solrs Clerk, Bank Buildings, Lancaster.

